Alligator fish

By Sean Ellis Idaho Farm Bureau Federation HAGERMAN – All but one of the thousands of alligators that used to draw curious members of the public to Leo Ray’s fish farm in Hagerman are gone now. But Ray’s operation, Fish Breeders of Idaho, is still going strong and growing catfish, tilapia, trout and sturgeon for caviar and meat. Ray, 84, who even grew tropical aquarium fish for a while, has one of the most unique fish farms around, said recently retired University of Idaho aquaculture extension educator Gary Fornshell. “He certainly is an innovator,” said Fornshell, who has worked alongside Ray on several projects, including his alligator endeavor. “He comes up with ideas that many people wouldn’t necessarily do and then pursues them,” Fornshell said. “He’s had a hand in just about all the different fish species grown here in Idaho.” The operation’s diversity is what helped it to survive the government-ordered restrictions related to COVID-19, Ray said. “The strength of the company is the diversity,” he said. “The weakness is trying to manage all that diversity.” Ray has been producing fish in Idaho since 1971, when he left his catfish operation in California and moved to Idaho to take advantage of the geothermal water available in Idaho’s Magic Valley area. The alligators used to get all the attention at Ray’s fish farm but now it’s the sturgeon that draw the curiosity of the public and media. “Sturgeon is the big attraction now,” Ray said. They’re also the work horse on ...

The term “river monster” seems made for the alligator gar. This prehistoric-looking creature named for its resemblance to the American alligator could have been dreamed up by a Hollywood special-effects master: the long snout crammed with double rows of needle-like teeth, the protective covering of interlocking scales prized by Native Americans for armor and arrowheads, and the sleek, torpedo-shaped body all appear purpose-built for combat. In reality, alligator gar are shy, docile creatures that can live for decades. Second only to white sturgeon among freshwater fish when it comes to sheer heft, these slow-growing fish can take half a century to reach a trophy length of 7 feet, and specimens topping 8 feet have been estimated at 80 to 90 years old. Unlike sturgeon, though, which are heavily protected in many parts of their North American range, the largest of the gar sub-species thrives across much of the South and lower Midwest. Historically considered a “trash fish” by many, alligator gar are becoming an increasingly targeted species among recreational anglers. In Texas, which for decades has boasted some of the healthiest overall populations and most impressive individual specimens, wildlife officials instituted a one-per-day limit on alligator gar in 2009 and now manage the fish as a regulated non-game species. It seems to be working: Decades-old alligator gar that top 200 pounds are far from rare, and 300-pounders—once found mostly in fishing lore and dusty old reco...

Dawson Hefner learned how to catch alligator gar when he was a teenager, landing his first alligator gar when he was 16 years old by drifting a chunk of freshwater drum under a Coke bottle in Texas’s Sabine River. When he saw that bottle get ripped under the water—and felt the power of that first gar fish—Hefner, now 30, fell in love with alligator gar fishing. Last September, I got my own first taste of alligator gar fishing. As I watched a 10-inch slip float slice a V-wake down the center of a chocolate-colored pool on the Trinity River near Gun Barrel City, Texas, I understood Hefner’s fixation. With every foot of 130-pound Dacron line that peeled off the free-spooling reel, instinct told me to lock up and swing. I glanced at Hefner, who was guiding my buddy Mike Sudal and me. He was sitting at the back of his dirty johnboat, on a cooler slathered in dried carp guts, wearing a wide smirk. “Not yet,” he said. “Give him time to eat.” Still not convinced? Before you dismiss the alligator gar as a menace or a pest, consider the facts. The head of a 10-pound common carp on a size 5/0 hook is ready for gar bait. Joe Cermele Do Alligator Gar Attack Humans? My first alligator gar—all 6 feet, 90-plus pounds of it—pulled like a semi truck. Now, as it tranquilly lay on the surface next to the boat, Hefner slipped a homemade snare over its head. But when he tightened the cable loop behind its pectoral fins, the gar went berserk, spinning and banging its hard snout against the gunwa...

( • Cottus monopterygius Bloch, 1786 • Cottus indicus • Aspidophoroides tranquebar • Aspidophoroides groenlandicus • Aspidophoroides borealis Valenciennes, 1841 • Aspidophoroides bartoni The alligatorfish ( Aspidophoroides monopterygius), also known commonly as the Aleutian alligatorfish and the Atlantic alligatorfish, The Alligatorfish is preyed on by the Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and the Hippoglossus stenolepis). References [ ] • Aspidophoroides monopterygius at www.fishbase.org. • Aspidophoroides monopterygius at www.fishbase.org. • ^ a b Aspidophoroides monopterygius at www.fishbase.org. • Bloch, M. E., 1786 [ref. 465] Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin. v. 2: i-viii + 1-160, Pls. 145-180. • Aspidophoroides monopterygius at www.fishbase.org. • Aspidophoroides monopterygius at www.fishbase.org.

On April 13, Paul Hefner landed the largest alligator gar ever taken from Lake Corpus Christi in Texas. A photo of the massive fish Hefner caught the big gar while jug fishing with his father. It weighed an astonishing 207 pounds and taped out at about 7.5 feet, Newsweek reports. After recording its measurements and posing for a side-by-side photo, he released the prehistoric giant “to swim another day,” TPW wrote in its Facebook post. Travis Hall is the associate news editor for Field & Stream. He has been with F&S since August 2022. Before that he worked as a freelance journalist homing in on hunting, fishing, and conservation-related topics. He’s originally from southern Indiana but spent time living in Yellowstone National Park, along the Carolina coast, and in the southern Appalachian Mountains before moving to his current home in western Montana.

The alligator gar is a giant freshwater fish that can reach lengths of over 10 feet! This species is native to North America and can be found in slow-moving rivers and lakes. Alligator gars are unique-looking fish with a long body, large scales, and a toothy snout. They’re often considered to be a “nuisance” species due to their size and voracious appetite. In the wild, alligator gars are known to eat just about anything they can fit in their mouth. This includes other fish, reptiles, mammals, and even birds! While they’re not the most popular fish in the aquarium trade, alligator gars can make interesting and low-maintenance pets. In this guide, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about alligator gar care. From tank size and diet to tank mates and lifespan, it’s all here! Table of contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • Species overview Alligator gar (scientific name: Atractosteus spatula) are a type of fish that’s native to North America, primarily in the southern United States. They are the largest freshwater fish in the entire country and can grow to be quite large (up to 10 feet in length)! Alligator gars prefer slow-moving waters with a lot of vegetation. This could be anything from ponds and lakes to marshes and swamps. Due to their size and the fact that they’re a predator, alligator gars can be quite dangerous. They’ve been known to attack and kill humans on occasion, which is something to be aware of if you live in an area where they’re present. If you’re inte...